Grapple, Drag, Climb, and Stealth (Pathfinder)

[Lord Tyger]

So, I'm planning a Halloween game, and I want it to be a little scary. After breezing through the SRD, I found the Moss Troll, and I thought to myself "Perfect. What's scarier than something hiding up in the trees, and reaching out to grab you."

But there are a bunch of fairly complex mechanics involved, so I just wanted to make sure I understand how it works.

First- stealth and climbing. A moss troll has a climb bonus of +11, and, since it has a climb speed, can always take ten on climb checks. In addition, an accelerated move check allows it, for a minus five penalty, to move at double it's climb speed (so, in trees, sixty feet). Apparently this is still only a move action based on

Originally Posted by d20srd

Climbing is part of movement, so it’s generally part of a move action (and may be combined with other types of movement in a move action). Each move action that includes any climbing requires a separate Climb check. Catching yourself or another falling character doesn’t take an action.

And

Originally Posted by d20srd

Climb Speed A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a creature with a climb speed chooses an accelerated climb (see above), it moves at double its climb speed (or at its land speed, whichever is slower) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty. Such a creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.

So, sixty feet as a move action, and, since trees are listed as a DC 15 climb check, +5 for accelerated climb, and there's no reason for the Moss Troll ever to get below a twenty-one on his check, so far so good.

Now, stealth. Fairly straightforward- being up in the trees provides concealment, which lets him make the check, he moves at half speed, so back down to thirty feet as a move action. here he actually has to make the check, since you can't take ten on an opposed check (I believe?).

Now, questions that I don't have an answer for yet- does grappling give you any sort of penalty on a climb check? Or climbing on the grapple check? Is it actually possible to grapple while climbing?

You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand

Makes me think maybe not, although perhaps the troll could yank them up into the tree, render them unconscious, and then carry them off, treating them at that point as a carried object, rather than a grapplee?

[tuggyne]

Originally Posted by Lord Tyger

So, sixty feet as a move action, and, since trees are listed as a DC 15 climb check, +5 for accelerated climb, and there's no reason for the Moss Troll ever to get below a twenty-one on his check, so far so good.

As mentioned in the quoted section, this is limited to land speed, or 30 feet. Accelerated climbing is therefore irrelevant for a moss troll in trees.

Now, questions that I don't have an answer for yet- does grappling give you any sort of penalty on a climb check? Or climbing on the grapple check? Is it actually possible to grapple while climbing?

Makes me think maybe not, although perhaps the troll could yank them up into the tree, render them unconscious, and then carry them off, treating them at that point as a carried object, rather than a grapplee?

Originally Posted by d20PFSRD Grapple

Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll.